Item number: A639

Year: AD 1729-1731

Material: Brass

Size: 26.4 x 26.3 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 5.35 g

Manufactured by: Bao Jin Bureau

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is the “Yongzheng Tongbao,” a square-holed coin issued by the Bao Jin Bureau in Shanxi Province during the reign of the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the Yongzheng Emperor, who ruled from AD 1722 to AD 1735.

The outer rim, inner rim, and central square hole on the obverse of the coin are slightly worn, though the reverse remains very clear. The inner rim of the obverse is engraved with the four Chinese characters “Yongzheng Tongbao,” with the character “Zheng” almost entirely worn down, leaving only a faint outline. The inner rim of the reverse is inscribed with the Manchu script “ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡳᠨ” (Bao Jin).

The Bao Jin Bureau was established in the 7th year of the Yongzheng reign (AD 1729 ) with the purpose of stabilising coin prices and providing military pay. The primary material used for minting at that time came from old bronze artifacts, and due to the limited supply, production ceased after only two years. Although permission was granted in the 13th year of Yongzheng’s reign (AD 1735) to purchase existing bronze objects for coin production, the efforts were unsustainable. Consequently, the operations of the Bao Jin Bureau during the Yongzheng period were marked by intermittent production due to a shortage of bronze materials.

物件編號: A639

年代: 公元 1729-1731 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 26.4 x 26.3 x 1.1 mm

重量: 5.35 g

製造地: 寶晉局

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是清朝第五任皇帝雍正在位期間(公元1722至1735年)，於山西省所設立「寶晉局」發行之「雍正通寶」，其外觀為方孔錢。

錢幣正面的外廓、內廓和中央的方孔略微磨損，不過背面十分清晰。正面的內廓鐫刻漢字「雍正通寶」四字，「正」字基本上被磨平，只剩下一點的輪廓。背面的內廓則鐫刻滿文「ᠪᠣᡠ ᠵᡳᠨ」（寶晉）二字。

「寶晉局」成立於雍正7年（公元1729年），其設立目的為平抑錢價和搭放兵餉。當時主要鑄銅的材料來自於舊銅器，因數量有限，僅發行兩年便停止鑄造。後雍正13年(公元1735年)雖再次準許收購現存銅器，製造銅幣，然無法持續。因此雍正時期寶晉局因銅料缺發，導致寶晉局時開時停。